the girl named winter

| 10 |

t e n
d a y s
b e f o r e

"Sure you aren't tired of seeing my face?" I ask as I enter their house. I shrug my jacket off, revealing my printed shirt.

Blue grins at me as he took my jacket. "Why, Merry Christmas to you, too!"

"Seriously," I deadpan.

He scoffs. Blue rolls his gray eyes. "Why would I?"

Marck enters the household, dusting his shoes off on the mat hastily.

"Hey, little man!" Blue greets.

"Is Amber inside?" Marck asks.

"Waiting for you since yesterday."

He runs inside, leaving Blue and I rolling our eyes at him.

We walk down the narrow hallway quietly.

Amber plays with a few Christmas balls.

Marck joins him.

I smile at their happiness.

Maybe this Christmas will turn to be alright.

"If you ask me," Blue murmurs beside me. "I think they're in love."

I scoff. "Good thing I didn't ask. That's merely admiration."

He raises an eyebrow at me.

"From a realistic point-of-view of course," I add.

"Now how couldn't you call that love?"

I look back at them and cogitate. "They're only smiling."

"So brightly."

"I smile at you too."

"You're not in love with me?"

My throat tightens. "That's the most ridiculous question you've ever asked me."

I look away and proceed to the Christmas decorations on the floor to escape the conversation.

After Blue places the Christmas tree at the corner, Amber, Marck, and I hang different balls and decors on its branches.

I avoid Blue.

He didn't seem to notice.

I stay at the opposite part of the tree where he wasn't standing.

He walk towards me.

I sit down at the ground to take a break.

He leans back down on his elbows beside me.

I continue to ignore him as I pretend to look at Amber.

Blue clears his throat. "So."

I looks at him. "So?"

His gray eyes hold a gloomy shade. "You don't love me?"

I wrinkle my nose. My toes curl.

"That's disgusting!" Marck shouts as he hangs another ball on the branch.

"Shut up, twerp," I hiss.

We stick our tongue out at each other.

I look at my shoes as I tell Blue, "As a friend, I do."

"And I thought I've erased Rey from your heart," he says.

I audibly swallowed. "Everybody I met still have their place in my heart. I just don't love him the way I used to." I clear my throat.